 Indiana Consumer Tips
- Check the refund and return policies of the stores you shop. Keep receipts and website printouts to track your purchases. Always take credit card receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container.
- According to safety experts, you should check your car’s tire pressure at least once a month.
- Keep a list of the serial numbers of all small electronics (DVD players, VCRs, and televisions) in a secure place such as a safety deposit box so they can be easily tracked if stolen.
- Identity thieves have been known to go through trash in the alleys looking for discarded bills and formal documents. Tear up these types of items before throwing them away.
- After the down payment for home repair or improvement, remaining payments should be tied to the completion of specified amounts of work.
- Beware if someone says he just finished work on your neighbor’s house and has just enough materials to do repair work on yours. He might say he will give you a discount if you let him do the work today.
- Contact the Better Business Bureau and the Indiana Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division for possible complaint information on a contractor before you hire them.
- Indiana law requires home improvement contracts exceeding $150 to be in writing.
- Hire your own inspector when buying a home. Get the initial purchase agreement in writing with a right-to-inspect in the agreement.
- If you receive a solicitation in the mail that requests payment for a “free” gift, toss it in the trash. You shouldn’t have to pay for a free gift – free is free.
- Don’t ever give out personal information over the phone, through mail or over the internet, unless you have initiated the contact and know whom you’re dealing with.
- If your credit cards are lost or stolen, call the issuer immediately. Once reported missing, by law you have no further liability.
- Don’t listen to high-pressure sales pitches. Hang up!
- If you receive an unwanted phone call from a telemarketer asking you to purchase something, it is not rude to simply respond: “No thank you, I’m not interested” and immediately hang up.
- Legitimate lenders never “guarantee” or say that you are likely to get a loan or a credit card before you apply, especially if you have bad credit, no credit, or a bankruptcy.
- When considering a vehicle to purchase, check the public VIN in the dashboard to see if it’s loose or scratched, and whether the rivets are in place. Irregularities could indicate someone has switched the VIN plate.
- Before purchasing a used vehicle, check the odometer to see: 1) Are the numbers uneven, in a straight line, or different colors? 2) Does the mileage seem too low for the age of the vehicle? (avg. mileage is 10,000-15,000 per year).
- Be aware of telephone scams offering you free or low cost travel packages; they can end up costing a lot, or may not even happen.
- When using your credit card, make sure you keep it in sight at all times and only use a secure server when making purchases over the Internet.
- Order your credit report once a year from a reputable credit bureau to check for inaccuracies and fraudulent use of your accounts.
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